Out with the new; in with the old

As promised, the Phue Thai party is making plans to push for the reinstatement of the 1997 constitution.

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Pheu Thai firm on charter change plan

Amendments will go to public referendum
  
Aekarach Sattaburuth

House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranon

The ruling Pheu Thai Party has reaffirmed its plan to amend the constitution but said coalition partners will be consulted about the move.

House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranon yesterday said the constitution which was promulgated in 2007 needed to be amended as several of its parts were undemocratic.

The change should be carried out by an assembly made up of members of the public to ensure that the people would have a say in its content, he said.

Mr Somsak denied, however, that the amendment plan was aimed at paving the way for an amnesty for deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who has been sentenced to two years in jail and is now living in self-imposed exile overseas.

Pirapan Palusuk, a Pheu Thai MP for Yasothon and a member of Pheu Thai's legal team, said the party would push for a public referendum which could be held in three months to ask the people which they preferred between the present constitution, and the 1997 charter abolished by the 2006 coup.

If the referendum showed the majority of the people wanted the 1997 constitution to be reinstated, the government would base the changes on that version of the charter.

To be able to make sweeping changes to the constitution, the government would first need to amend Section 291 of the charter.

Section 291 sets conditions for the 2007 charter's amendment. The amendment of Section 291 would pave the way for the appointment of a new constitution drafting assembly.

Brainstorming sessions would then be held to discuss who would be in the constitution drafting assembly, he said.

Mr Pirapan said the Pheu Thai legal team has been studying laws to find out whether the government could hold a public referendum on charter amendment.

If the laws do not allow such a referendum to be held, the government would move ahead with the process to appoint the constitution drafting assembly.

It would do its job, and any changes would be put to a public referendum, however.

On the timing of the amendment process, Mr Pirapan said key party members would have to discuss it later on as well as consulting executives of other coalition parties.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said her government does not expect the process of amending the 2007 constitution to be completed in one year.

constitution – the set of laws and basic principles that a country in governed by รัฐธรรมนูญ
firm – definite and not likely to change แน่นอน, แน่วแน่
charter – a constitution รัฐธรรมนูญ
amendment – a change made to a law or agreement, in this case, to the constitution การแก้ไขกฎหมาย ในที่นี้หมายถึงการแก้ไขรัฐธรรมนูญ
referendum – an occasion when all the people of a country can vote on an important issue การลงประชามติ
reaffirm – to give your support to a person, plan, idea, etc. for a second time; to strengthen ยืนยันใหม่
coalition partners – the political parties making up the government พรรคร่วมรัฐบาล
consult – to ask for information or advice from someone หารือ
House Speaker – the person who is in charge of most of the activities of the House of Representatives ประธานสภาผู้แทนราษฎร
promulgate – to announce a new law or system officially or publicly  ประกาศใช้
assembly – a group of people who have been elected or chosen in order to discuss issues and make decisions สภา, สมัชชา
the public – people in general ประชาชน, สาธารณชน, มหาชน
ensure – to make certain that something happens or is done  ให้การยืนยัน, รับรอง, ให้ความมั่นใจ
content – the subject, ideas, or story that a piece of writing, radio or television programme, etc., deals with เนื้อหา,สาระ
deny – to say that something is not true ปฏิเสธ
aim – to have as your purpose or goal   มีเป้าหมาย  มีจุดมุ่งหมาย      
pave the way – to make something possible or easier to be done  ปูทางไว้สำหรับ
amnesty – a situation in which a government agrees not to punish people who have committed a crime การนิรโทษกรรม
deposed – forced from a position of power ที่ถูกปลด ไล่ออกจากตำแหน่ง
sentence – (of a court of law) to give a punishment ลงโทษ
self-imposed – of something that you do yourself to do rather than being forced by someone else อย่างสมัครใจ
exile – a situation in which you live in a foreign country because you feel you cannot live in your own country, usually for political reasons การลี้ภัย การถูกขับออกนอกประเทศ
overseas – away from your own country, especially separated from your country by the sea or ocean ต่างประเทศ, ข้ามทะเล
legal – relating to the law or lawyers เกี่ยวกับกฎหมาย
prefer – to like or want more than anyone or anything else ชอบมากกว่า
abolish – to officially get rid of a law, system, practice, etc. ยกเลิก
coup (d’etat) – the seizure of power in a country by a group of people, usually members of the armed forces รัฐประหาร
majority – more than 50 percent of a group เสียงส่วนใหญ่
reinstate – to cause something to exist again นำกลับมาใช้อีก
version – a particular form of something which varies slightly from other forms of the same thing – ชุด, เวอร์ชั่น
sweeping – major  กว้างขวาง
section – any of the parts into which something is divided ส่วน
condition – something that must be done before another thing can happen เงื่อนไข
appointment – when someone is officially chosen for a job การแต่งตั้ง
draft – to write a document, plan, etc. that may be changed before it is finally accepted ร่าง
brainstorm – to try to think of good ideas การระดมสมอง
session – a formal meeting การชุมนุม ประชุม
process – a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
key – very important ที่สำคัญ